The Ocean and the Open Flame
by ShadeOfTyranny
Summary: After the Breach, everything has pretty much returned to normal. Neptune decides to relax one afternoon, when a certain blonde shows up and starts talking to him. Of course, given his crush on her, the conversation isn't exactly a normal one...


Notes: One-shot. RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth, and I do not own it in any way, shape or form.

* * *

Up, down.

Up, down.

Up, dow-

"Hey Neptune!"

_Smack. _"Gah!"

Neptune put a hand up to his face where the rock he'd been tossing up and down had hit him. Rubbing at it, he turned his head to look at the person who'd caused him to miss his catch.

The first thing he noticed was the mane of blonde hair, which pretty much told him all he need to know about the person who had plopped down on the grass beside him.

"H-Hey Yang," Neptune stuttered, a light blush on his face.

The blonde bombshell grinned at him. "So, what're you doing out here?"

"Just- just thinking," he replied, not meeting her eyes. She leaned towards him, narrowing her eyes as he leaned back.

"Thinking about what?" She asked teasingly. "Is it me? 'Cause I could totally understand if it was me," she joked.

There was an awkward silence as Neptune scrambled for something to say. Yang blinked, and then came to a realization.

"Oh my god you really were thinking about me!" She crowed. "Man, I was just guessing, too!"

"I- No!" Neptune tried to regain his 'cool' demeanor. "I was just thinking about all the beautiful girls I know, and of course you came up in my thoughts." He followed up with a wink, even as he mentally slapped himself. '_Really? Was that the best line I could think of?'_

Yang looked at him silently for a few seconds, and Neptune started to sweat.

Then, she burst out in laughter.

"Wow, that- that was a pretty lame pick-up line!" She told him, laughing between words.

Neptune sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, a small smile on his face. On one hand, she was laughing, which was a good thing. On the other hand, she was laughing AT him, which wasn't a good thing.

He wondered if they cancelled out somehow.

Instead of voicing any of those thoughts, he responded to Yang. "Even a lame pick-up line is better than nothing, right? Besides, I'd bet you've heard worse."

She slowly brought her laughter under control, and gave him a look. "Oh please, Neptune," she said, "I've _said _worse. Doesn't mean yours wasn't lame, though!"

"Oh?" Curious, he asked, "Doubt you can prove it."

In mock outrage, she told him, "Oh yes I can!"

"Really. Then let's hear it."

She paused, a finger delicately placed on her chin as she thought. Neptune watched her think, and couldn't help but notice how pretty she was (not that he hadn't already known). He couldn't describe it, but her eyes and nose and really, just her whole face looked amazing.

"Alright, so clichés don't count," she spoke up, breaking Neptune out of his thoughts (_crap, he hadn't meant to get distracted and stare at her face like that)_. "But I think I've got one from a while back that tops yours."

She paused for a moment, as if expecting Neptune to interrupt, but he said nothing and she continued. "This was about, oh, a year or so ago? I was hanging out with some friends at a park and we saw a hot guy walking by. One of my friends dared me to go talk to him, so of course I couldn't say no! So I walked up beside him and, completely serious, asked, 'So is it a challenge to look that good, or is it just a _walk in the park_?'" A wide grin appeared on Yang's face as she talked, expectantly looking at Neptune to see his reaction.

He didn't disappoint, breaking down in laughter as soon as he heard the line. Yang just watched happily while Neptune recovered.

"You definitely win that round, Yang," Neptune gasped, still trying to get his breath back.

"Of course I do," she boasted, "I'm the _queen_ of puns and lame pick-up lines!" Suddenly, her gaze intensified. "You do realize, of course, that I haven't forgotten what your lame pick-up line actually was?"

Neptune swallowed hard, suddenly too warm and feeling uncomfortable. '_Of course she would remember what I'd said…'_

"So," Yang drawled, "if I'm one of the people who you thought of when you were thinking of the hot people you know-"

'_Oh god is she gonna kill me-'_

"-Who else did you think of?"

'_What.'_

"What?" Neptune repeated out loud.

Yang rolled her eyes. "Who else were you thinking of?" She asked. "I mean, I already know I'm hot stuff," she joked, grinning at the small pun, "but I'm curious as to who else you were thinking of."

Neptune opened and closed his mouth, but then managed to snap himself out of his confused stupor. "Well, I mean, there's Weiss. She's pretty cute. And Pyrrha's got that whole 'warrior-princess' thing going for her. Emerald's pretty attractive too," Neptune managed to get out, surprising himself by keeping his cool throughout the whole thing.

Yang hummed thoughtfully. "I'd probably have to agree with you on Pyrrha and Emerald. Weiss is cute, but not really attractive to me, you know? Blake and Goodwitch definitely make my list for hot girls, though."

Neptune felt his stomach drop a little. "You like girls…?" Immediately after he said it, he realized how the question could've been taken (_especially since he couldn't keep the disappointment out of his voice_), and backpedaled. "I mean, not that there's anything wrong with that-!"

Yang cut him off with a laugh and a punch to the arm. "Nah, don't sweat it. I knew what you meant. Besides, I swing both ways," she said with a wiggle of her brows. "Why, worried that I was suddenly out of reach?"

For a moment, Neptune found himself torn between saving face and admitting to something that he'd barely admitted to himself.

Then he decided.

"Actually, yeah, I kinda was."

For the first time in the conversation, Yang was the one who was left speechless. She looked at Neptune, surprise written all over her face, and then looked away towards the ground, still silent.

During the silence, Neptune sat there, mentally hitting himself for confessing this way.

Then Yang spoke up.

"Well then, let's make sure you have nothing to worry about," she said in a low voice.

Neptune was confused up until Yang suddenly jumped on him and kissed him.

After that, he wasn't really thinking of much.


End file.
